Here are some of the must have baby items that I think all new parents will love. They have made things easier on us, so to all the new parents, and to those preparing for parenthood, please take note of these. You can click on any of the pictures to find them on sale at Amazon. And feel free to email or comment if you have questions about any of them. I’ve also added all these items toOur Amazon Store.

Must Have Baby Item #1.A Play Mat

My wife and I chose one just like the one featured here. Not only does it entertain our daughter for 30-60 minutes several times a day, but it gives her room to move around. One time while she was playing, we looked over and she had completely turned herself around. And while working on tummy-time, there was enough room for her to roll over. There’s no way we won’t use this for all of our future kids as well.

Must Have Baby Item #2. A Bouncy Seat

When our daughter starts to get fussy after laying flat for a while, or we need to let her sit somewhere while we work on dinner, cleaning, etc., a bouncy seat is a must. I would recommend one that both plays music and vibrates, but you can choose the features you think will help. Our daughter sometimes wouldn’t sit in one unless it was vibrating, and other times, she’s entertained by the soft music that plays. Whatever kind you choose to get, I think it’s more than worth it.

Must Have Baby Item #3.A Scrapbook

I know that these can get pricy at one of those scrapbooking stores, but Amazon really has some good deals, which I’ve linked below for you. Scrapbooking will take some time to compile a great book, but of all the items on this list it may be one that I feel is the most important. Your baby will likely not remember their early toys or the items you used to help raise them. But I think they will cherish a scrapbook that provides them with the memories they’ll carry on for a lifetime. My wife and I started our scrapbook just weeks after she was born, and will continue to add to it for years to come. It’s a long-term project, but great to start early.

Must Have Baby Item #4.Dr. Brown’s Bottles

We’ve tried a few types of bottles, starting with a basic Medela 5 oz bottle, and switching to Playtex VentAire for a while. But the best ones we’ve used and continue to use are the Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow bottles. They are designed to reduce the gassiness that more simple-made bottles might not prevent. We are very pleased with them, and I don’t see us using anything else going forward. So for those parents who use bottles, I strongly recommend these.

Must Have Baby Item #5.Swaddles

I know that there are many types of swaddles and wraps parents used to keep their children wrapped tight at night during those early months, but we’ve been very pleased with, and will gladly recommend, the Summer brand swaddles. They’re easy to use, provide a little access to check for dirty diapers, and really do work. We tried at first to simply swaddle with a blanket like at the hospital, but our daughter broke out of those pretty easily. The Woombie we used for about a week or two, but she seemed to get fussy more easily when using those. But Summer’s swaddles would keep our daughter content, and helped her to start to sleep through the night.

Must Have Baby Item #6.Drying Rack

I couldn’t make this list and not include the item we use multiple times every day. The Boon Inc. Grass drying rack was introduced to us by a family member who swore by them, so we registered for 2. They work great! The hundreds of little grass spikes allow you to fit on any size or shape baby item. And the “grass” piece can be removed for easy cleaning of the tray below. Some of our good friends use The First Years Modular drying rack, and I also like that kind. Again, allows pretty much any size and shape bottle, and with the tiered design, doesn’t take up much counter space.

Must Have Baby Item #7.Swing

My guess is that most parents know the value of having a good swing, but it’s worth reinforcing in case you were on the fence about getting one. Sometimes my daughter just won’t get settled by us holding her or in her bouncy seat, but the swing will always gently lull her to sleep. The swings that go either front to back or side to side are slightly more expensive, but the change can be good for your baby. And I’m not alone, just check out what other parent’s have to say about them on the reviews.

Must Have Baby Item #8.Crib Soother

We had no plans to get a soother, but my wife’s aunt purchased one for us since it worked so well with one of her sons. And we are
very glad she got it for us. Our daughter becomes entranced with the soothing noises and/or lights from her crib soother, like the one shown here. We can sneak into her room when she’s fussy and press the button, and she gets settled and often times falls asleep while it’s still playing. When she gets older, we hope she will also be able to entertain herself by kicking or pressing the button on her own.

Must Have Baby Item #9. Bright Starts Lots of Links

My wife received these during her pregnancy as part of a Secret Santa week at school, and our daughter absolutely loves them. And as a parent, I love that they are so inexpensive if we needed more. They are simple, interlocking rings that our daughter loves to grab, throw, swat at, and chew on. They can be hung from her car seat handle while we’re out on a walk, dangle from her play mat, or just given to her in a chain to play with. We are very thankful to have them around our house.

Must Have Baby Item #10.A Good Camera

I left this for last on my list, as it may not be within your budget to get a really good camera. Before our daughter was born, I upgraded to the Nikon D3100. As a previous owner of a film SLR camera, I chose Nikon’s D3100 as I could still use my old lenses (without autofocus). And we have captured some amazing pictures of our daughter. I keep the camera set at the highest resolution so any pics that are captured can be blown up if needed for gifts or displaying around our home. You may not need or want a digital SLR camera, but I would still encourage you to find a great point-and-shoot camera at least. Pictures help capture that moment in time, and last thing you’ll want are blurry or grainy photos of your child. If a digital SLR isn’t in the budget I still have to recommend getting some sort of digital camera, and I’ve provided a link below to Amazon where you should be able to get the best deal on any digital camera.